The Western Carolina Human Identification Laboratory (WCHIL) is a fully equipped facility
dedicated to the recovery, storage, and analysis of human remains. The main WCHIL
facility covers 1100 square feet. This laboratory has a single body morgue refrigerator
and freezer for the handling and maintenance of fresh and decomposing human remains.
The facility is fully equipped for:

routine micro and macroscopic analysis and description of bone

removal of soft tissue for dry bone analysis

casting

maintaining chain of evidence

state of the art GPS survey and recovery of human remains

burned bone and cremation analysis

bone trauma replication and assessment

The WCHIL director is a board certified forensic anthropologist and a Fellow of the
American Academy of Forensic Sciences and has over 32 years experience working with
the human skeleton and human remains.

The WCHIL maintains at a separate facility a decomposition research station. Here,
through scientific cadaver donations, time standards are being developed for decomposition
in the western North Carolina mountain habitat. In conjuction with the decomposition
research facility, staffed by nationally recognized instructors, the WCHIL offers cadaver dog training.